Partners to bring Aussie batteries to global defence and security market

Australian developer of lithium-sulfur battery technology Li-S Energy has announced a collaboration agreement with defence and national security company EPE Trusted to Protect (EPE).

Li-S Energy says its batteries can deliver almost twice the range and operating time, and increase the payload-carrying capacity of drones and unmanned systems, as well as offering critical sovereign manufacturing and an allied materials supply chain. In the defence and security markets this drives substantial capability, performance and sovereign supply advantages for powering unmanned systems across air, sea and land domains.

The agreement between EPE and LIS establishes a framework for joint evaluation, qualification and introduction of Li-S Energy’s cells across EPE’s global network of customers and technology partners.

Founded and led by Australian Army veteran Warwick Penrose, EPE is a wholly Australian-owned group with more than 25 years’ experience equipping defence and security customers operating in the world’s most hazardous environments. EPE was recently awarded $3.05 million by the Queensland Sovereign Industry Development Fund (SIDF) to upgrade and expand a manufacturing facility for Australian-designed drone systems.

Under the Agreement, Li-S Energy and EPE will jointly evaluate, demonstrate and qualify Li-S cells in key platforms, opening a route for potential battery supply into EPE partner platforms and end-customer systems.

“As we expand our presence in the allied defence and security markets, EPE is an ideal Australian partner,” said Dr Lee Finniear, Managing Director of Li-S Energy. “In one agreement, we gain a pathway to EPE’s defence and security customers across Australia, the Indo-Pacific, North America, Europe and the UK, and to the more than 60 international OEMs and Australian primes building the platforms where LIS cells can deliver real capability uplift.”

“At EPE our purpose is to keep Australians and our allies safe in the most demanding environments,” Penrose said. “LIS provides a vital sovereign supply of advanced battery technology, designed and manufactured here in Australia. Through this collaboration we will identify, evaluate and progress opportunities for LIS cells to deliver real capability uplift across the systems we build and support, and the partners we represent.”

Image credit: Li-S Energy